Surrender
by Lechaton171
Summary: Sequel to my previous story, The Devil Within. A month has passed since Victor and Yuuri lived through terror caused by Victor's old fan, and they are still trying to put their lives back together. VictorxYuuri.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: First thing first: This story is a sequel to my previous fanfic, The Devil Within. IF you haven't yet read that story, this story will make absolutely no sense to you. So, I mean, you can still read if you want, but you will be confused XD**

 **I'm super excited to be writing this! I hadn't been 100% sure if I wanted to write a sequel after I finished The Devil Within, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it, so I decided why not :D Though I did skip a little time in between the two stories, not too much time had passed. I hope you enjoy this story, and let me know what you think ^_^ -Kate**

Victor walked into the room, a feeling of dread washing over him. His heart was racing and he was afraid to even breathe. The room was dark and quiet. Something was off. He could see a pair of feet sticking out on the floor, the rest hidden by the bed. Slowly, Victor walked around, knowing with every step he took that what he was going to see wasn't going to be very pleasant.

He saw the blood before anything else. His eyes slowly trailed up the body on the floor, his breath stuck in his throat. He knew who it was before he never looked at the person's face. He knew exactly what the love of his life looked like.

His glasses were askew, and he was covered in blood. Victor didn't have to touch him to know he was dead.

He was screaming, backing away from the body of his lover, wishing for someone, anyone, to help him, to make it stop-

"VICTOR!"

Victor woke up and realized he was still screaming. He was in his bedroom, at home. The room was dark but he could see Yuuri above him, his face full of concern. "It's okay, it's okay," he was saying, "it was just a nightmare."

Victor choked back and sob and pulled Yuuri into him, hugging him, crying into his shoulder.

Victor had never been one to cry, especially over something as silly as a dream. But things were different now.

It had been a month since an old fan of Victor's named Alina had decided to wreak havoc on their lives. Though both Yuuri and Victor had escaped before anything too terrible had happened, the fear from that fateful encounter had not yet gone away.

"I'm right here," Yuuri was telling him, stroking his hair. Victor hated feeling so weak, but every time he had that damn nightmare it felt so, so real. He had started having the same nightmare just days after the events in Moscow had happened. Yet somehow it hadn't gotten any easier for him. Every time he had the dream he was reduced to tears and Yuuri tried his best to calm him.

Victor knew that Yuuri had been dealing with a lot as well, and hated that his nightmares always ended up making them both have a sleepless night. All he had wanted to do was keep Yuuri safe and protect him, but he hadn't been able to do that very much.

Once Victor had calmed, Yuuri got up. "I'm going to go make some tea," he told him. It had become a routine by now. Victor woke up screaming, Yuuri held him, and then would make tea, in the middle of the night. They would share the tea and talk about how screwed their life had become, and then try to get more sleep, but they always would fail at it. Victor would be too afraid to fall back asleep, and Yuuri would worry too much and stay awake as well.

Victor stayed in bed, curling up in the blankets, even though his face was covered in sweat. He was so tired. The nightmares happened often enough that both he and Yuuri were quite sleep deprived. The picture of Yuuri, covered in blood on the floor of the hotel room was permanently burned into Victor's mind, and all he wanted was to forget it.

"Hey," Yuuri said, coming back into the room with two mugs. "Tea's ready, if you want it."

Victor sat and up grabbed it graciously. "Thank you," he said quietly. Yuuri sat back down on the bed as well. Yuuri's injuries were healing quite well. His ribs were not causing his as much pain anymore, and he was able to do most of his regular activities again. He still got headaches and dizzy spells from his head injury, and the doctor said that it could last for weeks or months. Victor hadn't let Yuuri on the ice yet again, as much as he knew that Yuuri wanted it. He didn't want Yuuri to risk his health.

"I'm sorry to wake you again," Victor said, staring down at his tea.

Yuuri shrugged. "I wasn't really sleeping well, anyway."

Victor took a big gulp of his tea. It warmed his stomach, helping to calm him a little. "Can you remember what it's like to get a regular night of sleep?"

"Not really," Yuuri said with a chuckle. "But even before this happened, my anxiety liked winning the better of me."

"Maybe we should take a vacation," Victor suggested. "Maybe we could go stay with your family for a bit? They have really been begging us, after all."

"Uh- I don't know." Yuuri looked uncomfortable. "I know they've been really worried, but I don't know if having them hover over us for a whole trip would be very relaxing."

Victor chuckled. "Perhaps not. The hot spring does sound like a good idea right about now though."

"Maybe we could go visit Phichit, or Chris," Yuuri suggested. "It might be fun. Or we could go somewhere completely different. Somewhere where it's just the two of us."

Victor smiled. Although he and Yuuri had been able to spend a lot of time together the past four weeks, none of it had been very fun. Yuuri had been healing from his injuries and they both had been trying to deal with their emotions. Not to mention the press, the police, and their friends and family constantly hounding them, asking them if they were okay.

"I want nothing more than to have a romantic getaway with you," Victor said, making Yuuri smile. "Maybe we should really try to plan something, before we have to get back to training."

Yuuri's smile faded. "I don't even want to think about how behind I'm going to be. And all the attention that I'm going to get- that we both will get. I don't want anyone to pity me, or go easy on me. Or think that I'm not a threat because I lost out on all this training time, or-"

"Yuuri." That's all Victor had to say, and Yuuri stopped. It was easy for Yuuri to get carried away by his anxieties, but Victor was often able to bring him back to reality.

"I'm sorry," Yuuri sighed. "I know you're having a hard enough night as it is."

Victor sat his empty mug down. He put his arm around Yuuri and pulled him close. He had missed holding Yuuri so much while Yuuri was injured, that he found himself unable to keep away from him now that Yuuri was healing. "It's better with you here. And you being alive, of course."

Yuuri put his head on Victor's shoulder. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

….

Yuuri woke up, the sun shining into the room. Groggily he grabbed his cell phone and saw that it was already after 9 am. He turned and saw that Victor was still asleep. He was glad that at least Victor had gotten some sleep. He hated knowing that Victor had been having such horrible nightmares. Having lived with anxiety for such a long time, Yuuri knew how terrible that Victor felt in those moments.

Yuuri got out of bed and stretched. The pain in his chest was dull now, and he was used to it. He had learned in the first couple weeks the best ways to avoid aggravating his injuries and since then things had gotten a lot easier. He had had to learn how to ask for help, and it hadn't been easy for him. But Victor had been happy to help him when he needed it, and now he was healing nicely. The doctors had told him that his ribs should be fully healed within the next couple weeks, though he still had to be careful.

His concussion symptoms were the most bothersome to him. He often would get headaches, almost on a daily basis. He would randomly get dizzy spells as well, and sometimes had trouble concentrating on things. What aggravated him the most was that he was still unable to skate. He wanted nothing more than to lose himself on the ice. Skating had always helped him at times when he wanted to shut out the world around him. But both his doctors, and of course his adamant coach, had told him he needed more time to heal.

Yuuri started to make a simple breakfast, waiting for Victor to wake up. Their life had been very quiet since the night in Moscow. They had mostly been lying low and staying home, though they had on occasion went to Lillia's to visit with Yurio, and had went to rink to watch him skate as well. Yuri had actually been really great throughout the whole ordeal. Though he was still his snarky self, he had also been very caring, checking up on them and bringing them food from time to time. Yuuri was grateful for all that the young skater had done for them.

Victor finally came out just as Yuuri finished putting food on a plate for him. His hair was a mess and he looked exhausted, but he still managed to smile. "What did I do to deserve such a caring guy like you?" Victor asked and Yuuri handed him his breakfast.

"Whatever you did it must have been pretty awesome if I'm your karma," Yuuri replied, and Victor laughed. They sat at the table together and ate silently, both of them still trying to wake up. Once they were both finished, Yuuri got up to take their plates to the sink. The dizziness hit him then, out of nowhere like always, making him lose the plates and causing them to fall to the floor and shatter. Yuuri backed into the counter and grabbed it for support, and Victor, suddenly very awake, sprung out of his chair.

"I'm okay," Yuuri said automatically, waiting for it to pass.

"Here, sit," Victor ordered, grabbing his arm and guiding him to the table. Yuuri lay his head down on the table and closed his eyes. He could hear Victor cleaning up the broken glass on the floor.

"I'm sorry," he said, still waiting for the spinning to stop. "Be careful on the glass."

He heard Victor chuckle. "Leave it to you to always worry about me before yourself."

Yuuri didn't reply. Of course he always worried about Victor first. That's just how it worked when you loved someone.

After a couple more minutes the dizziness passed. Yuuri sat up, feeling tired. Victor finished cleaning the broken glass, throwing it away in the trash. He came up to Yuuri and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you should try and get some more sleep," Victor suggested.

"I'm okay," Yuuri said, though he was exhausted. "It's already passing. I'll be fine."

Victor was about to argue when his phone went off, making them both jump.

That was their life now, jumping whenever their phones went off or someone knocked on the door.

Victor answered his phone in Russian. He looked at Yuuri, his face unreadable, and then went into another room. Yuuri always found it funny that Victor would leave the room when taking an important call, as if he didn't want Yuuri to hear, even though Yuuri had no idea what he was saying. All this time he had spent in Russia and he still barely knew any of the language.

Victor came back after a few minutes, and he didn't look very happy. "So they set the trial for Alina finally, it's next week. They want us to be there."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Chapter 2 is done yay! I'm going to be a little busy for the next couple weeks, but I'm still going to try to get chapters out regularly! Apologies in advance if I can't ^^;**

 **-Kate**

It was early in the morning, and the sky still dark. Yuuri had been awake for a while, turned away from Victor, staring at the window. No nightmares had happened tonight, and Yuuri was glad. But he couldn't turn his mind off. He had told Victor that he was fine with going to the trial, but it had been a lie. He didn't want to go. He never wanted to see that woman again. All he wanted was to forget the whole thing had ever happened, but no matter what he did, he couldn't escape it.

What made it worse was that the whole world knew. It was national news. He couldn't hide from it unless he stayed in his house at all times and never looked at a TV, paper, or phone screen again.

He wasn't quite sure how they were supposed to move on. He knew that sooner or later people wouldn't care as much. New stories would take over the news headlines and people would start to forget. But would he? Would he ever be able to forget what it felt like to be in that hotel room?

It had only lasted about a week from the time that he first received a message to the time that the police took Alina away in Moscow. He had only been in that room with her for a few minutes. But somehow, it had felt like a lifetime.

The first time Yurio had come over to visit them after they returned home, he had stopped by unannounced and brought them dinner. When he had knocked on the door, Yuuri had gone into a complete panic attack and ended up crying in the bathroom. Because he heard the knock on the door. That was what his life was like now.

The doctors had recommended that maybe both he and Victor talk to someone, like a counsellor, but neither of them had done it yet. Victor had seemed to be thinking about it, but Yuuri hadn't wanted to. Growing up, he had always had skating. That was what would calm him, would help take his stress and insecurities away, if only for a little while. But he hadn't had that pleasure since he was injured.

Yuuri looked at his phone. It was just after 5 in the morning. He turned to look at Victor, who was fast asleep. Yuuri couldn't help but smile. He was happy that Victor was getting a decent night's sleep. He needed it.

Yuuri got out of bed. He just wanted to clear his head. He could go and be back before Victor woke up, and no one would know.

….

The ice rink was empty, and Yuuri was relieved. He didn't have to worry about anyone bothering him. He slid on his skates, feeling excited and nervous. It felt like it had been ages since he was out on the ice. He entered the rink, gliding over the ice carefully. He already felt happier. He was realizing now how much he had missed being out here. It was so normal. Nothing had been normal lately, and normal was nice.

He slowly let himself go a little quicker. He had been afraid that it would be hard getting back out on the ice, but it almost felt as if he had never left. It was all muscle memory. He felt free, like nothing could touch him. He still had something good about him. There was still something that he could look forward to doing.

He did a small, single loop. He did it without a problem. He knew that he shouldn't push it too much, but he was lost in the moment. He tried again. Maybe if he worked his way up-

He wasn't as strong as he thought he was. He lost his footing and crashed down on the ice. He was at least able to realize what was happening with enough time to shield his head from hitting the ice with his arm. His ribs definitely felt it, but he was sure that he hadn't re-broken them. At least he was hoping as much.

"Yuuri!"

Shit, someone was there after all. Someone rolled him over and he looked up to see Yurio above him, looking concerned.

"What the hell?" Yurio said angrily. "What are you doing out here? Did you hurt yourself?"

At least it was only Yurio. If Victor had followed him or found him here, he would be very upset with him. "I'm fine," Yuuri said. "I just fell. It's no big deal."

"I know, I was watching you," Yurio said, holding out him hand to pull Yuuri up. Yuuri took it, wincing as Yurio pulled him to his feet. "Are you sure you're okay? Didn't Victor say you had to wait to come back? Why are you here, by yourself?"

"How would you feel if you were me?" Yuuri asked him, and Yurio just looked at him. Yuuri sighed. His chest definitely hurt, but nowhere near as bad as it had when he had broken it. He was lucky. "I'm sorry, Yurio. I just…I just really wanted to escape for a minute."

Yurio crossed his arms and sighed. "I get it, okay? Just…just don't be stupid. You don't want to make it so you hurt yourself and you can't come back at all."

Yuuri nodded. Yurio was right. He had been careless, and he knew better.

….

Yuuri wasn't in bed.

Don't panic, Victor told himself. He probably just went to the bathroom or was in the kitchen. Victor lay there, waiting to see if he could hear Yuuri moving around in the apartment, but he couldn't.

He couldn't help himself. He got up and looked for him. He wasn't in the bathroom, the kitchen, the living room. He wasn't in the apartment. There was no note. Victor pulled out his phone. It was just after 6 in the morning. He texted Yuuri. _Where are you?_

 _I went for a run,_ was the reply. A moment later: _I'm on my way back now. Sorry._

Victor sighed. Yuuri was usually better about these things, especially now.

He got a message a few minutes later, from Yurio.

 _Yuuri was at the rink. He fell on the ice but he said he's okay. He didn't want me to walk him home. Just letting you know incase._

Victor gripped the phone tightly. He grabbed his coat and shoes, threw them on, and ran out the door.

….

Yuuri was halfway home when he saw Victor running towards him. He looked angry, or worried, or both. Yurio must have told him, even though he told him not to tell Victor. Yuuri sighed. He couldn't be angry and Yurio. He knew Yurio had been worried about him.

"What were you thinking?" was the first thing Victor said when he caught up to him. "Are you hurt? You didn't hit your head, right? The doctor said that hitting your head-"

"I'm fine, I didn't hit my head," Yuuri said, cutting him off. "I promise! It was nothing, really-"

Victor hugged him, causing Yuuri to flinch. Victor pushed him away, his face serious. "Did you hurt your ribs?"

"No, I'm fine."

Victor looked angrier.

"This isn't a game, Yuuri!" he yelled, tears shining in his eyes. "Do you have any idea how much I worry about you? You realize the doctors said it could be fatal if you hit your head again too hard, right? Do you think it's a joke?"

"No!" Yuuri yelled back, though he felt ashamed.

"You realize I have to watch you die in my dreams over and over right? How do you think that makes me feel, Yuuri? How can you be so careless?"

"I'm sorry!" Yuuri cried, tears flowing. "I wasn't- I wasn't thinking!"

"Obviously!" Victor yelled back. They stood there and stared at each other in the cold dark street. Yuuri felt terrible. Victor was right. He hadn't even been thinking about Victor at all. He had just wanted an escape from his thoughts. That was all.

"I'm sorry," Yuuri said, his voice small. He didn't know what else he could say. "I'm so sorry."

Victor turned away from him for a moment. Yuuri could see him take a deep breath. He turned back. "Let's just go home. Are you sure you're okay? No dizzy spells or anything?"

Yuuri shook his head. "I'm okay. I used my arm to cover my head when I fell. I did hit my ribs, but they aren't re-broken. They only hurt a little."

He could tell Victor was still angry, but he also wanted to help him. He took Yuuri's arm in his and led the way home.

….

Once they were home, Victor made Yuuri get back in bed. He then went to the kitchen and pulled out an icepack. His anger was finally dissipating, and he felt a little guilty for the way he had reacted. He knew that Yuuri was just trying to deal with things in his own way. Victor just hated that Yuuri always felt the need to deal with everything alone. Wasn't that the point of being in a relationship? Yuuri had been so amazing taking care of Victor when he needed it, especially in the middle of the night when the nightmares came. Victor just wanted to do the same for him back.

"Here, use this," Victor said, going back in the bedroom and handing Yuuri the icepack.

"Thanks," Yuuri said, taking it without looking at Victor in the eyes. Victor sighed and sat down on the bed.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be sorry, you were right," Yuuri replied, still not looking at him. "I guess I've just always been on my own and I haven't really had to stop and think about what my actions mean for anyone other than myself. I don't mean for it to be that way."

"I know," Victor sighed. "But you don't have to be alone, anymore. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I want to help you when you need it. That's what I signed up for," he added, raising his hand to show the gold band on his finger.

Yuuri finally looked at him. He gave Victor a small smile, though it was fleeting. "I don't want to go to the trial next week. I try my hardest to not think about what happened."

"I know," Victor said, taking Yuuri's hand in his. "I feel the same way. But at the same time, I want to make sure this woman pays for what she did."

Yuuri stared at their hands. "I guess you're right."

"Is that why you went to the rink this morning?"

Yuuri shrugged. "It's part of it. I just wanted to escape everything for a little while."

"Well," Victor said, rubbing circles on the top of Yuuri's hand unconsciously, "once we get past this trial, we should take that vacation we've been talking about. I think it would be good for us."

Yuuri smiled. "I think I'd like that."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys! I had to do a lot of research for this chapter (for this story/the last story in general haha). I know nothing about Russian Courts. I have a degree in Criminal Justice but unfortunately I've only studied American courts xD So I tried to keep a lot of the court stuff out. Sorry if you wanted a really in depth trial xD -Kate**

Both Victor and Yuuri were quiet as they got up in the morning. Today was the day of the trial, and neither of them were very excited about it. Victor had had one of his nightmares again that night, that resulted in both of them lying in bed unable to sleep for the rest of the night.

Yuuri made breakfast and started the coffee. He needed to keep busy to keep his mind off what they were about to do. His heart was racing, and he was trying his best to calm himself. His hands were shaking slightly as he piled eggs onto a plate for Victor, and Victor, who had been hanging back watching him, seemed to notice. He put his arms around Yuuri's waist from behind and hugged him, without saying a word. Yuuri sat down the pan and turned to face Victor, their faces just inches apart.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Yuuri asked him.

"I can go by myself, if you don't want to," Victor told him, pushing Yuuri's hair out of his face.

"No! No, I want to go." Yuuri hated the idea of Victor going by himself because Yuuri was too afraid to. "Well, I don't want to, but…" His voice trailed off awkwardly. "I guess we can just get it done and over with."

Victor hesitated, and then said, "It could take more than one day, Yuuri. Especially with a high publicity case like this."

Yuuri didn't like the phrases 'more than one day' or 'high publicity.' It made him sick to his stomach. "It will be okay," Victor assured him, kissing his forehead. "We'll be together, and that's what matters. I know I can handle anything as long as I have you by my side."

Yuuri smiled, wishing he could have that same confidence.

…..

Yuuri was gripping Victor's hand tightly as they took their seats in the courtroom. Victor rubbed the top of Yuuri's hand with his thumb, doing his best to help calm him. Victor was starting to get nervous as well. They had been hounded by the press on their way in, neither of them making a comment. Now they had to sit through the court proceeding, reliving through everything they had been trying to forget. But perhaps it would help them, once it was over. Because then, at least, it would be over. Then perhaps they could actually try to move on with their lives.

Victor felt Yuuri's grip tighten and looked up. The guards were bringing in their prisoner. Her eyes darted across the room as she took her seat, her eyes stopping on Victor for a second. Her eyes narrowed and she turned and sat down. Victor exhaled, realizing he had been holding his breath as he had watched it. It was hard to believe that he had ever heard this woman cheering his name and thrown her a flower.

The proceedings seemed to drag on forever. Yuuri didn't move at all the whole time, Victor noticed; it was if he were frozen, staring up at the front of the room. Victor made sure to keep hold of his hand the entire time, hoping it helped. Victor himself was surprisingly calm. Perhaps he was too focused on Yuuri to notice, but he didn't mind. He just wanted to get this day done and over with.

They called Yuuri up to speak as a witness. Victor wasn't sure if Yuuri was going to be able to do it; he looked like he was going to be sick. But somehow, Yuuri managed to stand, and Victor had to let go of his hand. Yuuri looked down at him pleadingly, as if asking for Victor to come with him, but all Victor could do was try to smile at him and let him know he was still there.

Yuuri's voice was small as he took the stand, and they had to ask him to speak up. He didn't want to look at anybody. Victor's heart broke as he watching them ask Yuuri questions about what had happened, questions Yuuri clearly didn't want to answer. After a few minutes he seemed to calm a bit, and Victor was glad. _You can do this, Yuuri_ , he thought, his hand feeling empty without Yuuri's. The woman, Alina, was watching Yuuri as he spoke, Victor could tell. But she didn't move, or speak. She just watched.

Once Yuuri was done, they called Victor up. They passed each other as Yuuri was walking back to his seat. Their hands brushed against each other briefly, but it was still comforting.

Victor answered everything they asked him truthfully. They asked about his relationship with Alina, his relationship with Yuuri, and all the events that had happened just weeks ago. Victor could feel her eyes on him, though he didn't want to look at her. He could remember the look of hatred in her eyes on that night in Moscow. He hated to think that hatred of that kind even existed. Even with everything that both he and Yuuri had gone through, Victor couldn't muster up that kind of hatred towards Alina if he tried.

Once they were done questioning him, Victor stood up and allowed himself to look at her again. Her eyes were still narrowed, like she wished nothing but pain on him. It's hard to believe that this woman ever believed herself to be a fan of his.

Finally, the day came to an end, with proceedings continuing the next day. Yuuri was up and out of his seat the very second they called the proceeding to an end, not even waiting to see if Victor was following him. Victor did, of course, following Yuuri all the way outside, until Yuuri finally stopped and hunched over, vomiting in the parking lot.

Victor rubbed his back, not quite sure of what else he could do. After a moment Yuuri straightened up and turned to Victor, throwing his arms around Victors neck.

"You did great," Victor said soothingly. "Let's get out of here."

….

Yuuri was exhausted by the time they got home. They had luckily gotten out before they got hounded by the press again. He had spent the entire time they were in court feeling like he was on the edge of a panic attack, but somehow had kept himself grounded enough to survive it. If Victor hadn't been there, he probably wouldn't have been able to last. Feeling Victor's hand in his was the only thing that kept him from breaking.

Yuuri hadn't even realized how badly he was still afraid. The past few weeks had passed in a fog as he focused on healing from his injuries and trying to remember what normalcy was. The fear was there, of course. But nothing like it was today. Today he had to face it head on, rather than shoving it in some dark corner of his mind. Facing it had been hard. He wasn't sure if he could do it again tomorrow.

Yuuri fell into bed without even changing his clothes. He felt Victor climb onto the bed as well, and then felt Victor's lips on his head. Yuuri closed his eyes, grateful to not be alone.

"Do you want to talk?" Victor asked him.

"No," Yuuri replied. "I just want to sleep." He didn't care that it wasn't even night yet. He was tired and wanted nothing more than to escape the day for a little while.

"Okay," Victor replied, stroking Yuuri's hair softly. "I'm going to clean up a bit and start dinner. I'll save some for you if you aren't up."

Victor got out of the bed. Yuuri turned, calling out after him.

"Victor wait!"

Victor stopped and looked at him. Yuuri blushed. "Can you stay a little longer?"

Victor smiled. "Of course."

….

Victor woke up with a start. He sat up and looked around wildly, feeling relief wash over him as he realized he was at home, in bed, with Yuuri next to him. Yuuri was still asleep, so apparently Victor's nightmare hadn't caused a scene like it usually did. But the dream tonight had been different. It started the same, but when Victor went around the bed expecting to see Yuuri's body, there was nothing there, just a bloodstain on the carpet. The dream hadn't changed like that since Victor started having it, and it was weird.

It was 6:32 AM. Deciding to let Yuuri sleep a little longer, Victor got up and took a quick shower, and then went to make them some breakfast. Today the sentencing would happen, and at least the trial would be over.

Yuuri came out into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes groggily. "You're up early," he yawned.

Victor smiled, sitting a plate down on the table. "I thought I would cook you breakfast for once."

Yuuri smiled back. Victor leaned in and kissed him good morning. They lingered there for a moment, their foreheads touching. It was comforting to both of them.

Yuuri sat down at the table, and Victor joined him. "When we get home today, we can start looking up those vacations, okay?" Victor said with a grin.

Yuuri nodded, looking down at his plate but not touching it. "Plus maybe the doctor will clear me to come back, and we can start training again."

Victor smiled, knowing how badly Yuuri wanted nothing more than for their lives to return to normal. "Your appointment is tomorrow, right? Wouldn't that be something if we ca put all this behind us in one go?"

Yuuri took a bite of his food finally, looking unsure. "Is my cooking that bad?" Victor laughed.

"No!" Yuuri said quickly, shoving another bite in his mouth for good measure. Once he swallowed the mouthful he continued, "I just was worried that I was going to get sick in the parking lot again."

"Today should be easier," Victor assured him. "I don't think they will need us to speak again unless they've thought of something else to bring up."

"God I hope not," Yuuri said, shoving more food in his mouth.

….

They didn't have to speak again at the trial. The second day went quicker than the first, and the jury had made their decision. They found Alina guilty. The judge sentenced her to ten years in prison.

Ten years. She went to that hotel room with the intention of killing Yuuri- why else had would she have come armed?- and all she got was ten years. It made Victor angry, because it didn't seem like enough. Ten years from now and they might run into her on the street again?

He looked at Yuuri to see what his reaction was. He was sitting still as he had yesterday, his face pale. Victor squeezed Yuuri's hand. Yuuri looked at him for a second, his eyes unreadable, and looked back up at the front.

Alina had no reaction to the news either. It was if she were dead inside and nothing phased her, except for the anger she felt towards them. The guards took her away, and she threw them one last loathing look before she was gone.

"We can go now, Yuuri," Victor murmured, and Yuuri turned to look at him as though he were surprised. He nodded and stood up. Victor led him out of the court room, sending a message to Yakov as he walked.

 _Please tell me you are outside._

A reply almost immediately.

 _I am but reporters are swarming, better be out here quick._

When they were in the hall Victor stopped and turned around to face Yuuri. "Yuuri, are you alright? There's going to be a lot of people out there."

Yuuri looked at him blankly. Victor could tell he was having some kind of anxiety attack, but wasn't sure what he could do. All he could do was get them out of there, and he held Yuuri's hand tightly and led them outside.

Yakov wasn't kidding. Reporters were everywhere with their camera and microphones, and shooting questions at them as soon as they left the courthouse. Victor didn't feel like talking to them and pushed through, dragging Yuuri behind him. Victor was relieved when he saw Yakov's car. He pushed Yuuri in and then got in after him, slamming the door shut in the reporter's faces.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n: Thank you for you wonderful reviews everyone! I'm happy that you are enjoying the story this far. I think there will be a couple more chapters after this one before the story wraps up. Thank you for all your support! -Kate**

 **...**

Yuuri stood in the bathroom, willing his heading to stop spinning.

He was meeting with his doctor today. In his last appointment, the doctor had told him that he wouldn't be able to start skating again until his symptoms went away, and there was no way of knowing when that would be. Every person and every injury was different, the doctor had said. But Yuuri needed to go back. He needed skating. He couldn't just sit around the house for forever waiting for the symptoms to stop. He was going to lose his mind.

"Yuuri, are you almost ready?" Victor called from outside the door. Yuuri had locked the door to make sure Victor didn't barge in.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a second," he called, gripping the sink. He felt a feeling of guilt wash over him. He had been fully intending to pretend this episode had never happened, so he could lie to the doctor. It had been a flawless plan in his mind until he remembered Victor, and the way Victor had yelled at him the morning he had snuck in to the rink to practice. He didn't want to worry Victor anymore. He just wanted everything to go back to normal.

Finally, the dizziness passed, and Yuuri unlocked the door. He started when he saw Victor standing right outside the door, waiting for him.

"Sorry," Victor said, "you were in there so long I was starting to worry." Victor studied him. "What's wrong?"

Yuuri wrapped his arms around Victor, knowing in his heart that he couldn't lie. It wouldn't be fair. "I had another dizzy spell."

"Oh, Yuuri," Victor said, his voice sounding sad. He wrapped his arms around him in return, holding him close. "I'm sorry. I know how much you want the doctor to clear you. It might not happen today, but it will. I promise."

"I'm sorry," Yuuri said, still feeling guilty even though he had told Victor the truth.

"For what?" Victor asked him.

Yuuri didn't answer. He just hugged Victor tighter.

….

"I'm sorry, Yuuri," the doctor told him sympathetically when he asked about returning to the ice. "I know it's hard but we have to do what's best for you. It's dangerous for you to skate when you are still recovering and experiencing symptoms. It's not worth the risk, especially since it would be quite easy to you to hit your head while skating. People with your condition usually see symptoms going away after 3 months. Chances are that you will not be experiencing them for much longer."

Yuuri looked crestfallen, even though he had known the answer. Victor grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Yuuri smiled at him sadly. Victor wished nothing more than to see a real smile out of his Yuuri again.

"The good news is that your fractured ribs have completely healed now, so today is not a loss!" the doctor continued, trying to cheer Yuuri up. "I know you've been through a lot and you should be proud of yourself."

"Thank you," Yuuri told the doctor, trying to look happy but not really achieving it. They scheduled the next appointment and left, Yuuri looking at his feet as they walked.

"Yuuri, let's go out for lunch!" Victor said suddenly, stopping Yuuri and turning him around to look at him. "We haven't gone out in a while, and we deserve it. Plus, the sun's actually out today, and we should take advantage of it!"

Yuuri looked so defeated, but he smiled anyway. "That sounds fun."

They went and ate lunch at a nearby café. Victor did his best to be cheerful and bubbly, and it seemed to help. Slowly Yuuri's sadness went away and his smile became more genuine. After lunch they decided to walk around town, window shopping and stopping for ice cream. Victor could honestly say that he was happy. It had been weeks since he felt so light and warm. Every day had been dealing with the fear, dealing with the pain, waiting for something to get better. He had spent so much time being scared for Yuuri, worrying about him, and scared of his own nightmares, that there hadn't been much time to feel happy. But he was, his arm around the man he loved, laughing as Yuuri spilled ice cream on his shirt. Victor was able to remember a glimpse of their life before Alina had ever walked into it.

"Thank you, Victor," Yuuri said as they finally headed home. "I haven't had this much fun since…."

"I know, me too," Victor said, wishing the moment could last forever. He stopped, realizing they were passing the ice rink. He wondered if it would make Yuuri sad, but Yuuri turned to him and smiled.

"Can we stop in and say hi?" he asked. "I feel like we haven't seen anyone in forever."

"Sure," Victor said with a smile.

Yakov, Yurio, and Mila were all at the rink when they got there. Mila called to them enthusiastically, waving. Even Yurio looked happy to see them. They both skated over to join Yuuri and Victor.

"What are you guys up to?" Mila asked them, propping her head on her hands. "I haven't seen you here in forever."

"We were just out and thought we'd say hi," Victor said with a smile. "How's training going?"

"Same as usual," Mila said, rolling her eyes. "Yakov is such a mean coach."

Yakov scoffed and ignored her. "So what's the deal, are you coming back?" he asked Yuuri. Yuuri looked a little uncomfortable but still managed a smile.

"No, not yet. But soon. The doctor said my fractures have healed and I just have to wait for my concussion symptoms to go away."

Yakov nodded. Yuiro, who had been quiet, looked saddened by the news. Victor could tell that he missed having Yuuri on the rink with him, even if he wouldn't admit it. Yurio noticed Victor looking at him and scoffed.

"You're gonna have to work your ass off to beat me," Yurio warned, and Yuuri laughed.

"I plan on doing just that."

"Alright, you two, enough distractions," Yakov said. "We still have half an hour of practice left!"

Yuuri and Victor stayed and watched as Mila and Yurio finished their practice for the day. Both of them were phenomenal; they had definitely been working hard. Once they finished their practice, Yuuri turned to Victor, his face lit up. "Can I watch you skate?"

Victor was surprised, but the look on Yuuri's face was hard to deny. "I think I can do that for you, as long as Yakov doesn't mind."

Yakov grunted. Victor took that as a form of approval and smiled widely at Yuuri.

….

Watching Victor skate was mesmerizing to Yuuri. It didn't matter how many times he had seen Victor skate; the way he moved was so beautiful, so graceful, that Yuuri's heart overflowed with love he couldn't begin to describe. He had no idea how on earth he had gotten so lucky to have fallen in love with Victor Nikiforov, and to actually have Victor love him back.

Their eyes met and Victor smiled. Yuuri hadn't even realized he was crying, tears flowing freely down his face. He didn't care. He was so happy to be there with Victor, especially after everything they had gone through.

"Alright Yuuri, that's enough," Victor said, skating over. Yuuri could tell Victor was tired. "I think it's time we head home."

Yuuri nodded, a smile still on his lips. He didn't stop smiling the whole way home.

Once they were back at the apartment, Yuuri turned on the TV and curled up on the couch as Victor started to get dinner ready. Yuuri turned on a movie but didn't really watch it. He was starting to feel a headache coming on, so he closed his eyes, hoping it wouldn't get too bad. Sometimes the headaches were nothing more than a dull ache, but sometimes they got so bad he ended up in bed the whole day, only getting up to throw up in the bathroom. He remembered the doctor's visit this morning, and he stomach squirmed uncomfortably. He was starting to get afraid that he would never get better, and never be allowed to go back to skating.

He had had such a nice day with Victor, and he didn't want anything to ruin it now. He tried to remember how nice it had been to spend the day with Victor, and watch him skate on the ice. But his headache was getting stronger, and with it came his worry. He hadn't even really thought of what he would do if he couldn't skate anymore. He didn't have enough money saved to go without working for very long. He'd have to find some kind of job. What would he do? What was he good at? Skating was all he'd ever focused on.

Eventually his thoughts started to get hazy as sleep overtook him. And then he was dreaming, dreaming of the ice, of skating alongside Victor. It was a good dream. He would gladly spend the rest of his life gliding over the ice with Victor by his side.

….

Yuuri was asleep by the time Victor came to tell him dinner was ready. Victor decided not to wake him, and set a plate in the fridge for him instead. He threw a blanket over Yuuri and kissed the top of his head. He smiled, taking a moment to appreciate how cute Yuuri looked when he slept.

Victor took his dinner into his room and grabbed his laptop. He, too, was tired. It had been a long couple of days. It had been a long few weeks, actually. With the trial over and Alina officially sentenced, Victor had hoped that he would feel different. He had hoped that he would feel free. And in some ways, he did. But he wasn't quite there yet. His fear was still there. He was still worried for Yuuri. There was still an uncertainty hanging over them. But today had been progress, and he wanted things to keep progressing. He looked at the gold ring on his finger and smiled. He wanted to plan something special for Yuuri.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: hey guys! Im planning on wrapping this up in the next couple chapters! :) I've been a little busy with work this week and have fallen behind on writing so I may not be able to post a new chapter tomorrow, but I will still try my best! I hope you enjoy!**

...

Yuuri woke up, the pain in his head overwhelming him. It took him a minute to realize where he was; he was on the couch, a blanket thrown over him. His stomach churned and he rolled off the couch. The light was still on in the bedroom, meaning Victor was probably still awake. The light was too bright for his eyes, and he dodged into the bathroom, heaving whatever was still left in his stomach into the toilet.

The bathroom light switched on, making his head hurt even worse.

"Yuuri?" Victor, his voice full of concern.

"Turn it off," Yuuri said, shielding his eyes. Victor understood without further questions; he turned the light off and knelt down next to him.

"I'm sorry," he said, rubbing Yuuri's back. "I'm going to grab your medicine, okay?"

Yuuri nodded, his head swimming. Victor left and returned moments later, pills in one hand and a glass of water in the other. Yuuri took it gratefully, throwing the pills in his mouth and gulping the water down. His stomach churned again and he begged it to stay down. Yuuri let himself lean into Victor, and Victor held him, whispering him words in Russian Yuuri couldn't understand, though they were still comforting. Victor was comforting. He was always there whenever Yuuri needed him. He never panicked, at least not on the outside. He was always so calm and collected. Yuuri appreciated this, because it helped calm him as well.

He must have dozed off again, because next thing he knew he was in bed. The pain was already less than it had been earlier. His stomach had settled as well. Victor was still awake, his laptop on his lap. He smiled when he realized Yuuri was awake.

"Hey," Yuuri said tiredly.

"The light isn't too bright?" Victor asked, reaching to close the computer.

"No, it's fine," Yuuri said. "I'm already feeling better."

Victor smiled at him again, though Yuuri could see the sadness in it. He hated the worry he caused Victor.

"I'm glad, love," Victor said, grabbing Yuuri's hand and kissing his fingers. "Do you need anything?"

Yuuri shook his head. Victor was all he ever needed, and more than he deserved.

"Would now be a bad time to tell you I booked us tickets to Paris?"

Paris? "Are you serious?"

"Yep, completely," Victor said, looking proud. "We're going next week. I hope that sounds okay to you."

He was going to spend a vacation with Victor in Paris. He couldn't even wrap his head around the idea. "I think that sounds good. It sounds amazing, actually. Are you sure? It wasn't too expensive, was it?"

"Don't worry, love, it's fine." Victor snapped the computer shut. "And it's already done, so no going back now. We're going to Paris, together, just me and you. We deserve it."

Yuuri smiled. His eyes were getting heavy again. "We do."

"You should get your rest," Victor told him, but Yuuri already felt himself drifting off to sleep. He dreamt of Paris, and of Victor, and it was beautiful.

…..

Victor woke up with a start. He had the dream again, and again it was different. There was nothing in the hotel room this time when he looked around the bed; no body, no blood. Nothing. He was alone. He lay there in bed, trying to figure out what the dreams meant. Why were they suddenly changing? He wasn't upset, because he'd much rather have a dream about an empty hotel room than Yuuri's bloody body.

Victor looked at Yuuri, still fast asleep in bed. He knew Yuuri would probably end up spending much of the day resting, as he often did when he got those headaches. That meant that they could spend the day at home, getting ready for their trip. Victor smiled, excited to finally be able to get away with Yuuri for a little while. It would do them both some good.

Victor got up and made coffee, already mentally planning what he was going to pack for both him and for Yuuri. Perhaps he could go to the store and buy a few new things for them. They hadn't really done anything nice for themselves in a while, after all.

Yuuri finally woke up late in the morning. Victor had already torn through half the closet looking for some half way decent things to bring. He poked his head out of the closet when he heard Yuuri get up out of bed.

"What are you doing?" Yuuri asked groggily, rubbing his eyes and looking at the pile of clothes on the floor.

"Just trying to figure out what to bring," Victor said with a shrug.

"Paris wasn't a dream then?" Yuuri asked with a small smile.

"No, definitely not!" Victor smiled back. He placed a finger under Yuuri's chin, bringing face close to his. "Are you feeling better?"

Yuuri blushed and nodded. "Good," Victor said, kissing his forehead. "You should eat something if you can. I still have your dinner from last night in the fridge if you want it."

"Okay," Yuuri replied. He watched as Victor turned back to the closet. "Are you sure it's okay we're doing this? I mean, spending money like this? I know—"

"Yuuri, don't worry, we're fine," Victor told him. "It's important that we take care of ourselves. Everything has been so stressful, especially with the trial. That's probably why you haven't been feeling as well, the doctor said stress makes it worse."

Yuuri looked down at his feet. He opened his mouth to say something, and Victor knew what he was going to say before he said it.

"Don't apologize, Yuuri. You have nothing to feel bad about." Victor pulled him into a hug. "We're going to go to Paris, and we're going to have a damn good time, and everything's going to get better. Okay?"

Yuuri smiled at him. "Okay."

….

Yuuri stared out the window as the ground got smaller beneath them. He couldn't believe that they were actually on their way to Paris. He was going on a vacation to one of the most romantic places on earth with Victor. The thought made him both happy and nervous. Yuuri was not very good at being romantic. He was mostly just good at being awkward.

"What are you thinking about?" Victor asked him, making Yuuri jump. Yuuri blushed, embarrassed to think what Victor would say if he told him about his worries.

"Nothing really," Yuuri answered with an awkward smile. "I'm just wondering what Paris will be like."

Victor smiled at him. "It will be wonderful, Yuuri. Especially since we will be together, away from everyone and everything."

Yuuri looked back out the window. "Thank you for doing this."

Victor grabbed Yuuri's hand, intertwining their fingers. "Of course, my love. I needed it too."

Yuuri looked back him. "How are you? You haven't been having your nightmares as often?"

"No, it's been different lately," Victor said, looking down at their hands. "Maybe it's just getting better."

Yuuri wanted nothing more than for things to get better. He hated knowing that Victor had been dealing with those terrible nightmares. He hated knowing Victor had been dealing with everything. Victor had taken care of him whenever he needed it and never asked for anything in return. He had always stayed so steady and sure for Yuuri's sake, even though he was dealing with his own demons.

Victor looked at him, his head tilted. He raised a hand and wiped Yuuri's cheek. Yuuri was crying again and he hadn't even realized it.

"Why are you crying?" Victor asked him.

Yuuri shook his head and wiped his face in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize." Even now, Victor was so calm. "I just…I want you to be happy."

Victor smiled, though he looked confused. "I am happy, love."

"It's just that everything happened and you were so great, all the time. You're always there and you're always…you. I feel like I always make everything about me, and never about you."

"That's not true, Yuuri," Victor said, his eyes serious. "You've been there for me every time I needed you. You've taken care of me in the middle of the night when I couldn't think straight. You opened up to me when it was hard for you. You moved away from your home and your family to live with me, Yuuri. And you've made me so happy. I promise you, my love, that you've done more for me than you can ever imagine."

Yuuri wanted to believe him. He would try to believe him. He had never thought very highly of himself or felt that he had ever done anything good for anyone. His life had always been taking care of himself, after all. He hoped that it was true that he had helped Victor, because Victor had helped him in so many ways.

….

Victor smiled as Yuuri's eyes lit up as he took in the city around him. They were in a cab on their way to their hotel, and Yuuri was like an excited child, staring out the window at the lights and buildings. "It's beautiful!" he told Victor, turning around, his face sparkling and his smile bright.

"I told you it was," Victor replied with a chuckle. It warmed him to see Yuuri so excited. The ride to their hotel was short. They grabbed their suitcases and checked in at the front desk. Their room was on one of the upper floors, so they had to take the elevator. When they finally found their room number, they hesitated outside the door. He looked at Yuuri, and there was an understanding between them.

"It's just a room," Yuuri said. Victor nodded and opened the door.

For a moment, just a moment, his nightmare flashed before his eyes. The cold room, the blood, Yuuri. He froze, but as soon as it came it was gone. The room was much different than the room in Moscow. The light was warm, the room was large and open, and a view of the city peaked through the curtains.

"Victor?"

Yuuri was looking at him, noticing something was off. Victor smiled, assuring him. "It's a beautiful room, don't you think?"

Yuuri smiled back. "It is."

They settled into the room, Yuuri excitedly staring out the window and pointing things out to Victor. Victor still felt a little uneasy, but as every moment passed the feeling would fade. Once Yuuri was done taking in the view, he joined Victor and they settled into bed, tired from their trip. Victor held Yuuri close to him, treasuring every moment. It didn't take them long to drift off to sleep, and for once, Victor's sleep was dreamless.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm SO sorry about the delay guys! I've been so, so busy lately T.T I was finally able to have a little time to finish writing this chapter this morning! I feel that I'll probably only have one more chapter after this one, maybe two. Thank you so much for your reviews, alerts, favorites, and views! You guys are the best! -Kate**

Victor stared out the window as the sun slowly rose over the city of Paris. It was beautiful, and he found pleasure in simply looking out at the city in the early morning glow. Yuuri was still fast asleep on the bed. Today was their last full day in Paris. Tomorrow morning, they would be flying back home and returning to their normal lives. So far, Paris had been a dream come true. They had gone for walks around the city, sightseeing and enjoying the wonderful food and drinks that the city had to offer. They had walked along the Seine, taken selfies at the Eiffel Tower, and ate dinner in the candlelight. Victor couldn't remember the last time that he had felt this relaxed. It was as if all their worries and troubles had gone away, and he could just be happy with Yuuri. He hadn't had one nightmare since they arrived. Yuuri had seemed to be a lot better, as well. He hadn't had really any health issues for their entire trip, aside from a small headache. Everything had been as perfect as Victor could have wished for. It was almost as if nothing bad had ever happened to them.

Victor held up this hand and looked at the gold band on his finger. Their life had changed so much so quickly. After Yuuri had moved to St. Petersburg and they began training for the next season, everything had seemed to be perfect. Victor was happier than he had ever been before. And it all had changed so rapidly. It still bothered him to think about how much worse things could have been. His nightmares had been a constant reminder. If he hadn't gotten there in time, if he hadn't thought to check Yuuri's bank and track him down in Moscow, there was a good chance that Alina would have killed him in that hotel room. She may have even gotten away with it.

Victor felt a sense of responsibility towards Yuuri. Yuuri had packed up his life and left it all to come to St. Petersburg and be with Victor. Although Yuuri said it was no big deal, Victor was sure it was harder for him than he let on. Yuuri had given him so much. He had given him a love Victor would never had even dreamed of. That's why Victor had worked so hard to be strong for Yuuri, and help him when he needed it, as much as it had hurt Victor to see Yuuri in pain or sick. It was the least he could do for his katsudon.

Victor was surprised when Yuuri joined him at the window. He had been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't even heard Yuuri get out of bed.

"What are you thinking about?" Yuuri asked him, still half asleep.

"Nothing really," Victor said with a small smile. "Just thinking about how much I have loved the past few days."

Yuuri smiled too. "Is there anything special you want to do on our last day here?"

"Not particularly," Victor replied, wrapping his arms around Yuuri. "I'm fine with anything as long as it's with you."

….

Yuuri watched Victor as he stared out at the river. Yuuri had found a nice little café with a good view and amazing food, but Victor had seemed preoccupied. He hadn't said or done anything in particular, but Yuuri noticed he was quieter than usual, with a faraway look in his eyes that Yuuri knew meant that Victor was lost somewhere in his own thoughts. The whole time in Paris had been amazing, and they had both been a lot happier than they had been in weeks. But today seemed different.

"Are you worried about going home?" Yuuri asked, waking Victor up from his trance. Victor looked at him a moment, seemingly trying to process the question.

"I don't think I'm worried," Victor said thoughtfully, "but I guess it feels like we're going to go home and…." Victor shrugged. "It's nothing, I-"

"No, tell me," Yuuri told him, and Victor seemed surprised. "I want you to talk to me, Victor, the same way you want me to talk to you."

Victor sighed with a sad smile. "I guess that's only fair. This trip has been amazing and I've loved every moment we've spent together. I'm just worried that we won't be able to keep this feeling when we go home."

"I understand," Yuuri said, looking down at his water glass. "I've been thinking the same thing. But I think it will still be easier. I think that it's been getting easier even before we came. It'll just take time."

Victor nodded. "I'm sorry that this happened, Yuuri. I know that neither of us are at fault for what happened, but I sometimes can't help but feel responsible."

"I always feel that it was my fault," Yuuri admitted. "I was careless and put myself in that situation. I know, that it wasn't my fault. It wasn't your fault. It was no one's fault but hers. But it always feels like I could have done something differently."

"Me too," Victor replied, and for a moment they simply sat there in silence, looking at one another, understanding between them. Yuuri was honestly happy that Victor was talking to him. He had known the Victor had been keeping a brave face for his sake, and he had known that it couldn't be easy.

"I'm going to be okay, Victor," Yuuri said, reaching across the table and grabbing his hand. "We're going to be okay, too."

Victor smiled at him. He pulled Yuuri's hand to his mouth and kissed his fingers, a gesture that Yuuri always loved. "I believe that, too."

After they finished at the café, they walked along the river, taking in the sights of the city one last time before they had to leave. Live music played in the street, and Victor dragged Yuuri over, pulling him in to dance.

"I can't dance, Victor!" Yuuri said, feeling his face go red.

"My memory says otherwise," Victor said with a wink, and Yuuri felt is face glow hotter. Victor laughed. As embarrassed as Yuuri felt, he was happy. They swayed back and forth to the music for what felt like an endless amount of time. The world around them melted away. Their troubles were forgotten and it was just Yuuri and Victor, the music, and a feeling of love that Yuuri treasured.

….

The lights of Paris got smaller and smaller as the plane took off into the early morning sky. Victor was glad that they had taken the trip. His heart felt a little lighter now. It was if parts of himself that he had lost were slowly finding their way back.

Yuuri was already asleep in the seat next to him. Victor had basically had to drag Yuuri out of bed when the alarm went off at 5 am, and in the rush of gathering their things and heading to the airport, Victor hadn't even really had time to realize that they were leaving and heading back home. He was still a little nervous about going home. There was a lot of uncertainty still. He was still worried about Yuuri, despite Yuuri assuring him things would be okay. Even if Yuuri's doctor cleared him to go back to skating, Victor would worry. Victor would worry that Yuuri would push himself too much, especially when he would need to work his way back up to where he had been before. He worried that Yuuri would fall and hit his head. He worried that Yuuri would be the center of attention due to everything that happened, and how that would affect him. He would always worry about Yuuri, because he loved him.

He loved Yuuri Katsuki more than he had ever loved anyone.

"Yuuri, are you awake?" Victor whispered. Yuuri groaned in response.

"Ask me in a few hours."

"Yuuri, I want to marry you."

"I know, I know."

"Yuuri." He said it louder this time, and Yuuri opened his eyes. "I want to marry you."

Yuuri looked at him, his face uncertain. "You mean, for real? Like you want to-?"

"I want nothing more than to marry you," Victor replied, and he had never been more sure in his life.

Yuuri smiled at him, his eyes sparking the way that Victor loved. "I want to marry you, too."


End file.
